Holding institution title: W.45, Fieschi Psalter, Latin (1275-1299 CE, Northeast France/Flanders?)
Holding institution classification: Psalter
Holding institution location: Baltimore, MD
URL: https://thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W45/description.html
URL2: https://manuscripts.thewalters.org/viewer.php?id=W.45
Digitization status: Digitized
Date: 1275-1300
Language(s): Latin
Use:
Country of production: France
City or region of production: Northeastern France
Illumination contents: David harping and David and Goliath in initial B, Christ anointing David in initial D, David pointing to mouth before God in initial D, Judas hanging in initial Q, David enthroned scolding a fool in initial D, Christ blessing and David in a boat in initial S, David ringing bells in initial E, Trinity in initial D
Text contents: Calendar, Biblical Psalter, Canticles, Litany, Petitions, Prayers, Office of the Dead, Prayer to St. Augustine, Added (fifteenth-century) Prayer to the Virgin
Hours intercalated?:
Personalization: One image of St. Francis (fol. 139v) is heavily worn, which may be evidence of devotional touching by the manuscript’s owner. Coat of arms
Scribe: Unknown
Illuminator: Unknown but hand change evident for scribe and artist starting at fol. 191r,
Patron: Leonardo dei Fieschi, a Genoese nobleman (d. 1331). However, manuscript was likely begun for one patron but finished for another, given a change in scribal and artistic hands and the addition of heraldry from Psalm 109 onward.
Materials: Parchment
Binding original?: No
Binding description: Rebound in Genoa, Italy, in sixteenth century by Viviano of Verase, of Thread Lane; dark brown leather over beech boards; stamped imagery on upper cover in two columns, reading from the top left down, then from the bottom right up: Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi, Agony in the Garden, Flagellation, Carrying the Cross, Crucifixion, Resurrection; borders around images comprised mainly of saints and possibly one soldier bearing a sword, with the bust of Christ blessing with rays emanating from him in top border, the initials “IHS” flanked by dragons in the bottom border, and evangelist symbols in the four corners; lower cover has vase of lillies and vines with small figures of an angel kneeling in front of the Virgin (Annunciation), two praying angels below, and a falcon attacking a hare facing a club-wielding man riding a lion, possibly Samson; the inscription around the image reads, clockwise from top left: OPUS. VIVIANI DE. VARIXIO. CARTARII. IN. CARUBEO. FILLI. IAN.; remains of original brass clasps survive on lower board
Folio height (in centimeters): 18
Folio width (in centimeters): 12.9
